Rogue One: A Star Wars Story + Wolfpupy 

journeys end in lovers meeting, every wise man’s son doth know

edit: credit

fantasy lesbians. enjoy

prints available in my store now! ✨

VEILGUARD FIC RECLIST

these are mostly (but not all!) lucanis/rookanis centered bc that's what i'm into. i have taken the small liberty of truncating some summaries since this is such a long list (with apologies), and tagging the authors where i can find them on tumblr. if i mistakenly tagged you and it's not your fic, or if i didn't tag you and you'd like to be, please let me know! not everybody has their urls in their ao3 profile so i had to cross my fingers and hope for the best lol. please make sure you read the tags for content and spoiler warnings.

How It Sang in Other Days by @viagothots [M, rook & viago, 26k]

Long before Rook de Riva took the contract on the elven gods, she learned to survive as a compradi of House de Riva. More importantly, she learned to survive Viago.

rec notes: ok, so i'm a little biased bc i helped beta read for this one, but the sheer depth of the characterization here is bananas. rook and viago's relationship is so much more complex than platonic or romantic, love or hate. it's a hard, unflinching look at the dark side of the crows that veilguard skirted around, and its take on the crow characters is both perceptive and honest. my favorite four words in this fic are "not like i was." you'll see what i mean when you get there. mind the warnings, but don't miss it - it's such a ride. and if you love a good torment nexus, i can promise you the rest of this series is just as mind-blowing as this installment. i can't rec this one highly enough.

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The Killing Kind by @teddywesworl [E, rookanis, 3.8k]

Lucanis was at Zara Renata’s mercy for a year. That sort of thing will leave a man with scars.

rec notes: absolutely my favorite rook/lucanis fic ever. please definitely mind the warnings on this one too, but it paints such a perfect picture of lucanis's character and the issues he might face after the ossuary, the spite voice is SO good, and the slow burn being somehow even slower is actually a fantastic choice. bonus rec for this author's other fics, particularly and any thing that may not misbecome the mighty sender, which has the best inner demons take i've ever seen, the eagle, which is competency porn, and the baseless fabric of this vision, which is actual porn but with fantastic character work.

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When the Floodwaters Come, I Will Help You Swim by @itsrainingpandas [E, rookanis, 5.5k]

They've been taking the relationship slow, as agreed. But after a freak storm isolates Rook and Lucanis in Treviso, and there's a fireplace and a bed, the desire between them becomes harder to ignore.

rec notes: i absolutely LOVE this entire series to pieces. the author has a MASTERFUL command over tone and mood and is able to shift both effortlessly. this rook is funny and brave while still being ruefully self-aware of and in touch with her own emotions, which adds a refreshing balance to a closed-off character like lucanis, and i'm constantly charmed by her. it was almost impossible to narrow this series down to a single fic to link to, but i chose this one because of how good the sex scene is; the dynamic here between rook and lucanis feels really good and natural. honorable mentions to Your Heart is a Haunted House and The Social Habits of Crows, which both feature illario and nearly got put on this list instead.

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How You Come Home by @punishandenslavesuckers [M, lucanis & illario, 3.2k]

Lucanis Dellamorte takes his cousin out for a night on the town after Illario returns from a rough contract. He doesn't seem like himself and Lucanis will do literally anything (including bar hop in Treviso) if it will bring Illario back home. Properly. AKA: Being a Crow is a nightmare sometimes and Illario commits the crime of decompressing in a 'frivolous' way. Lucanis has his back though.

rec notes: the way the shape of illario's damage is to clear to us without necessarily being clear to lucanis (whether it's because he can't see it or doesn't want to) is masterful, and when so much of their relationship both in canon and fic involves turmoil it's nice to see them just...love each other, even if it's difficult to show or say. this author is very good with characterization, and i also really enjoy Your Inexorable Company and Unseen Influence in this series, though as always, please be mindful of the warnings.

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Phantoms by @thewitchofelpis [T, rookanis, 700]

“It’s a nightmare, Spite. Lucanis is having a nightmare.”

rec notes: short and sweet, but i like how deftly it and evenly it covers all three characters' issues. i love the coziness of this author's style, so if you like this one, definitely check out the others.

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In Spite of You by @blazingquill [E, rookanis, 11.4k]

Lucanis lets himself be vulnerable. It takes a while. OR: Spite watches Lucanis’ slow breakdown over Rook. It lasts months.

rec notes: the pov/pronoun work in this one wrt to possession is extremely twisty and fun and refreshing, and the last line hits SO PERFECTLY. everything here feels so earned.

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Lucanis's Logbook, 6 by @flowersforthemachines [G, rookanis, 3.3k]

Lucanis’s journal kept throughout the time between Rook’s disappearance at Tearstone Island and the day she’s rescued from the Fade.

rec notes: this feels so well-integrated with canon, and the style perfectly matches the style of lucanis's actual logbooks from the game. having the fic itself use the actual look of the veilguard interface was such a wonderful touch and added immensely to this experience.

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Other Plans for the Evening by hollyvipe [M, rookanis, 5k]

Inspired by the Nick Thornborrow concept illustrations showing some very intriguing concepts they didn’t go with, like Rook and Lucanis in a lake in Treviso?! In this reimagining of a world where we got the lake scene, our lovers have already done the ‘commit to a relationship cutscene’ but Rook is still a bit unsure where that leaves them. Sure, he made her a dessert and remembered her drink… but are they actually together? And something I think a bit more exciting happens after his ‘I’ve got other plans for the evening’ tease.

rec notes: this one ties a lot of "missing scenes" together in a way that is satisfying, and it also scratches the itch for a romantic moment here than was in the game. i really enjoy the mood of this one!

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feed me promises, keep my heart well by @alltears [G, rookanis, 3.9k]

a month after thwarting the gods, rook falls back into the fade. sort of.

rec notes: rook walking through the mansion at night is just creepy enough to be that extra little bit unsettling even though we know what's up, and lucanis and spite's solution to the problem is very clever. i also really enjoyed their dialogue with each other: it's tetchy without being openly hostile, and funny without breaking the more serious mood.

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Tomorrow We Die by @thecaryatid [E, rookanis, 2.8k]

Rook has a breakdown. The obligatory romance scene rewrite.

rec notes: this fic has the most interest after-affect of the fade prison i've come across. it's really compelling, sad, and also just a little spooky. i really enjoyed the comparison between solas and spite as entities inside rook and lucanis's heads.

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Volcanic by kaienne_pepper [E, rookanis, 6.1k]

Caldera de Riva, elder sister to the Fifth Talon currently going by "Rook", is no stranger to using unconventional means of distributing poisons. Unfortunately, on this minor of contracts, her mark doesn't mind distributing substances non-consensually either. One glass of wine later and two little Crows find themselves in a very compromising situation. Or: Lucanis and Rook both end up drugged during a contract and work each other through the effects.

rec notes: this is one of the first rookanis fics i ever read, and though i'm not normally a sex pollen girlie, i really enjoyed the vulnerability in this one and how in-character it was.

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Say The Desires That Are Your Deepest by @purplesauris [E, rookanis, 12.4k]

Lucanis finally allows himself to indulge in a late morning now that the world has ceased trying to fall apart around them.

rec notes: pegging fic of all time (even though there is technically no pegging) and one of my favorites. the way lucanis and rook navigate the New Sex Thing is really good, and the smut itself is both hot and incredibly intimate. it's nice to see lucanis still struggling with spite now and then even after the events of the game are over, it paints a more realistic picture, and i love the way they talk with one another when things are more settled, the spite voice is great.

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A Mirror to the Void by @wishforhome [E, rookanis, 1.9k]

Lucanis is not inexperienced with sex, but it's been more than a year since anyone has touched him. Since he's touched himself. He's worried about Spite, but Rook is asleep next to him and her presence makes him feel safe enough to try.

rec notes: sexuality is such a fun and complicated thing to navigate when there's a literal demon up inside you, and i thought this was a good portrayal of it.

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Just Wanna Hold You by whoframedjessicarabbit [E, rookanis, 400]

Lucanis is too stressed to get it up, and is surprised when he receives love and affection.

rec notes: short and sweet, but the tag #hold dick gentle like a hamburger was too compelling not to click on, and it does not disappoint if you're a fan of broken dick fics.

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Of Kindling Expectation by @nelsynoo [G, rookanis, 2.4k]

The Lighthouse is awake again after centuries of lying dormant. With a new host of inhabitants, the Lighthouse tries to figure out what they need and re-shape itself accordingly. Rook and Lucanis might not realise it yet - but they need each other.

rec notes: i've never read anything quite like this - it's from the lighthouse's pov, which is such an interesting and creative idea. the pov makes me feel as cozy as if i were an inhabitant of the lighthouse itself.

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thank you for reading the reclist, and hope you enjoy <3

“By the world I was taken By storm I was tossed But I told myself that love’s never lost.”

- Love’s Never Lost from A Man of No Importance 

I was feeling a bit nostalgic about campaign 2, so I thought I’d draw a little something

Devastating to have more evidence that done IS better than perfect

Temples are built for gods. Knowing this a farmer builds a small temple to see what kind of god turns up.

Hit with the terrible realization that in the third Horizon game they’re going to make us fight a Horus with a bow and arrows

I have fun with these too

Newt Scamander + Text Posts

Yes pls

Instead of being Voldemort's daughter, Delphi may actually be the great-granddaughter of Isolt Sayre, the founder of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - and a Slytherin descendant.

The witch may come from the Irish branch of the Gaunt family, which J.K. Rowling introduced recently in her Pottermore article on Ilvermorny.

It’s still possible that Delphi actually isn’t Voldemort’s daughter, but only believes that she is.

Why? Because of what J.K. Rowling herself recently posted on Pottermore, with the entry for Ilvermony School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

J.K. Rowling wrote that the Gaunt family had at least one other branch, namely, in Ireland. Rionach Gaunt, a Pureblood witch and descendant of Salazar Slytherin, married the Pureblood wizard William Sayre in the late 1500’s/early 1600’s.

This is what Rowling writes in the article:

Isolt Sayre was born around 1603 and spent her earliest childhood in the valley of Coomloughra, County Kerry, in Ireland. She was the offspring of two pure-blood wizarding families (OP: Gaunt and Sayre).

Her father, William Sayre, was a direct descendant of the famous Irish witch Morrigan, an Animagus whose creature form was a crow. William nicknamed his daughter ‘Morrigan’ for her affinity for all natural things when she was young. Her early childhood was idyllic, with parents who loved her and were quietly helpful to their Muggle neighbours, producing magical cures for humans and livestock alike.

However, at five years old, an attack upon the family home resulted in the death of both of her parents. Isolt was ‘rescued’ from the fire by her mother’s estranged sister, Gormlaith Gaunt, who took her to the neighbouring valley of Coomcallee, or ‘Hag’s Glen,’ and raised her there.

Isolt Sayre later founded Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, being a descendant of Slytherin, it’s heavily implied she could speak (or, at least understand) Parseltongue. Her “house” at Ilvermorny, Horned Serpent, was named after a [likely basilisk relative] she “could speak with and understand”.

According to J.K. Rowling:

Most fascinating of all to Isolt, was the great horned river serpent with a jewel set into its forehead, which lived in a nearby creek. Even her Pukwudgie guide was terrified of this beast, but to his astonishment, the Horned Serpent seemed to like Isolt. Even more alarming to William was the fact that she claimed to understand what the Horned Serpent was saying to her.

Isolt learned not to talk to William about her strange sense of kinship with the serpent, nor of the fact that it seemed to tell her things. She took to visiting the creek alone and never told the Pukwudgie where she had been. The serpent’s message never varied:

'Until I am part of your family, your family is doomed.’

Isolt had no family, unless you counted Gormlaith back in Ireland. She could not understand the Horned Serpent’s cryptic words, or even decide whether she was imagining the voice in which he seemed to speak to her.

Isolt had two daughters with her Muggle husband, James Steward: Martha, a Squib, and Rionach II, a witch.

Rionach II never married “in an effort to eradicate Slytherin’s bloodline”. However, her sister, Martha, did marry a Native American man from a local tribe.

According, again, to J.K. Rowling:

Rionach, the youngest of James and Isolt’s daughters, taught Defence Against the Dark Arts at Ilvermorny for many years. Rionach never married. There was a rumour, never confirmed by her family, that, unlike her sister Martha, Rionach was born with the ability to speak Parseltongue, and that she was determined not to pass on Slytherin ancestry into the next generation (the American branch of the family was unaware that Gormlaith was not the last of the Gaunts, and that the line continued in England).

[…] Martha, the elder of James and Isolt’s twins, was a Squib. Deeply loved though Martha was by her parents and adoptive brothers, it was painful for her to grow up at Ilvermorny when she was unable to perform magic.

She eventually married the non-magical brother of a friend from the Pocomtuc tribe, and lived henceforth as a No-Maj (Muggle).

In another interview, Rowling pointedly confirmed that Muggle-borns “are a result of Squibs intermarrying with Muggles, and magic showing up in the descendants of these unions several generations later”.

“Muggle-borns will have a witch or wizard somewhere on their family tree, in some cases many, many generations back. The gene resurfaces in some unexpected places.” - J.K. Rowling

Due to this, it’s entirely possible that Delphi is actually the long-lost descendant of Martha Steward, and thus, the other branch of the Gaunt family. She merely assumes she’s Lord Voldemort’s daughter, because she can speak Parseltongue.

If this is the case, Delphi would also likely be Muggle-born, or, at best, Half-blood.

If that’s the case, then why would Lord Voldemort and/or his followers have taken / stolen Delphi as a child?

This answer, too, can be found easily within the Ilvermony article. Voldemort’s distant relative, Gormlaith Gaunt, also stole away Isolt Sayre as a child for the following reasons, and later, also sought to steal Isolt’s daughters:

As Isolt grew older she came to realise that her saviour was in reality her kidnapper and the murderer of her parents. Unstable and cruel, Gormlaith was a fanatical pure-blood who believed that her sister’s helpfulness to her Muggle neighbours, was setting Isolt upon a dangerous path to intermarriage with a non-magical man. Only by stealing the child, Gormlaith believed, could their daughter be brought back to the 'right way’: raised in the belief that as a descendant of both Morrigan and Salazar Slytherin she ought to associate only with pure-bloods.

[…] Gormlaith refused to allow Isolt to take up her place at Hogwarts when the letter arrived, on the basis that Isolt would learn more at home than at a dangerously egalitarian establishment full of Mudbloods. However, Gormlaith herself had attended Hogwarts, and told Isolt a great deal about the school. In the main, she did this to denigrate the place, lamenting that Salazar Slytherin’s plans for the purity of wizardkind had not been fulfilled.

[…] She intended to lay waste to the second Ilvermorny, slaughter the parents who had thwarted her ambition of a great pure-blood family, steal her great nieces who were the last to carry the sacred bloodline, and return with them to Hag’s Glen.

Likewise, in the article on Pottermore about Draco Malfoy, Rowling wrote the following:

Draco was raised in an atmosphere of regret that the Dark Lord had not succeeded in taking command of the wizarding community, although he was prudently reminded that such sentiments ought not to be expressed outside the small circle of the family and their close friends, 'or Daddy might get into trouble’.

In childhood, Draco associated mainly with the pure-blood children of his father’s ex-Death Eater cronies, and therefore arrived at Hogwarts with a small gang of friends already made, including Theodore Nott and Vincent Crabbe.

Like every other child of Harry Potter’s age, Draco heard stories of the Boy Who Lived through his youth. Many different theories had been in circulation for years as to how Harry survived what should have been a lethal attack, and one of the most persistentwas that Harry [Potter] himself was a great Dark wizard.

The fact that he had been removed from the wizarding community seemed (to wishful thinkers) to support this view, and Draco’s father, wily Lucius Malfoy, was one of those who subscribed most eagerly to the theory.

It was comforting to think that he, Lucius, might be in for a second chance of world domination, should this Potter boy prove to be another, and greater, pure-blood champion.

It was, therefore, in the knowledge that he was doing nothing of which his father would disapprove, and in the hope that he might be able to relay some interesting news home, that Draco Malfoy offered Harry Potter his hand when he realised who he was on the Hogwarts Express.

Harry’s refusal of Draco’s friendly overtures, and the fact that he had already formed allegiance to Ron Weasley, whose family is anathema to the Malfoys, turns Malfoy against him at once. Draco realised, correctly, that the wild hopes of the ex-Death Eaters – that Harry Potter was another, and better, Voldemort – are completely unfounded, and their mutual enmity is assured from that point.

How and why would Lord Voldemort be in America in the first place?

I think this is also for a reason explained by Rowling in the Ilvermorny article: Voldemort was looking for the wand of Salazar Slytherin, which was buried on the grounds of Ilvermorny. (Or heard of a “powerful wand” being at Ilvermorny, and assumed it could be the Elder Wand.)

From J.K. Rowling:

Next, [Gormlaith] uttered a single sibilant word in Parseltongue, the language of snakes. The wand that had served Isolt so faithfully for many years quivered once on the bedstand beside her as she slept, and became inactive.

In all the years that she had lived with it, Isolt had never known that she held in her hand the wand of Salazar Slytherin, one of the founders of Hogwarts, and that it contained a fragment of a magical snake’s horn: in this case, a Basilisk. The wand had been taught by its creator to 'sleep’ when so instructed, and this secret had been handed down through the centuries to each member of Slytherin’s family who possessed it.

[…] Isolt screamed at James to go to the girls: she ran to assist her adoptive sons, Slytherin’s wand in her hand.

Only when she raised it to attack her hated aunt did she realise that for all the good it would do her, the sleeping wand might as well have been a stick she had found on the ground.

[…] Slytherin’s wand remained inactive following Gormlaith’s command in Parseltongue. Isolt could not speak the language, but, in any case, she no longer wanted to touch the wand that was the last relic of her unhappy childhood. She and James buried it outside the grounds.

Within a year, an unknown species of snakewood tree had grown out of the earth on the spot where the wand was buried. It resisted all attempts to prune or kill it, but after several years the leaves were found to contain powerful medicinal properties.

This tree seemed testament to the fact that Slytherin’s wand, like his scattered descendants, encompassed both noble and ignoble. The very best of him seemed to have migrated to America.

But who could speak Parseltongue, aside from Harry, in the series? Lord Voldemort. A man who, even as Tom Riddle, as seen in Chamber of Secrets, had an unhealthy obsession with Salazar Slytherin.

“You see?” he whispered. “It was a name I was already using at Hogwarts, to my most intimate friends only, of course. You think I was going to use my filthy Muggle Father’s name forever? I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin’s himself, through my mother’s side? I, keep the name of the foul, common muggle, who abandoned me even before I was born, just because he found out his wife was a witch? No, Harry — I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world!”

[…] “Well, he certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after Hagrid was expelled,” said Riddle carelessly. “I knew it wouldn’t be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school. But I wasn’t going to waste those long years I’d spent searching for it. I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages, so that one day, with luck, I would be able to lead another in my footsteps, and finish Salazar Slytherin’s noble work.” - Tom Riddle, Chamber of Secrets

Likewise, we all know that Lord Voldemort greatly coveted Founders’ items - and Slytherin’s wand would have the perfect object to turn into another one of his Horcruxes.

Had Voldemort not sought the Elder Wand, likely, he would have also done anything in his power to lay his claim to Salazar Slytherin’s wand. This is especially true, given that he robs Dumbledore’s grave just in order to obtain the Elder Wand.

Likewise, by finding out how (and why) Salazar Slytherin’s wand ended up in America in the first place, Voldemort would also learn…that he was not the last of Slytherin’s decendants. That Slytherin’s descendants may still exist, alive and well, in America, through descent from Martha Steward.

Likewise, during the books, Voldemort travelled far and wide, according to Harry. We know that he travelled to Germany (Nurmengard) to interogate Gellert Grindelwald. Voldemort also travelling to America wouldn’t be much of a stretch.

If she isn’t Voldemort’s daughter, then why does Delphi have blue-silvery hair and other magical powers?

I believe that this may be due to several reasons: namely, as a descendant of William Sayre, Delphi would also be descended from the Irish witch Morrigan. Morrigan was stated to be a powerful witch and an Animagus, one who took on the form of a crow.

In Irish lore, Morrigan was known as “the Morrígan”, which means “the phantom queen”, or “Mórrígan”, “the great queen”.

However, “Morrigan” also refers to a type of creature in the earliest source material - “a monster in female form, that is, a morrígan”. (“morrígna” is the plural term used)

Likewise, in traditional Irish lore, Morrigan could turn into other animals besides a crow.

In response she intervenes in his next combat, first in the form of an eel who trips him, then as a wolf who stampedes cattle across the ford, and finally as a white, red-eared heifer leading the stampede… (Wikipedia)

This would indicate that Morrigan, though believed to be a witch, may actually be something more along the lines of a Veela.

“Veela are semi-human magical beings; beautiful women with white-gold hair and skin that appears to shine moon-bright. When angry, Veela take on a less pleasant appearance; their faces elongate into sharp, cruel-beaked bird heads, and long scaly wings burst from their shoulders.” (HP Wiki)

Likewise, we know that Veela, as seen with the Delacour family, can intermarry and have children with humans (namely, wizards).

Veela have been known to marry wizards, although it is unknown whether any have married Muggles. Children of these unions are half-Veela, and they will inherit magical ability from their fathers and beauty and charm from their mothers. Veela traits seem to persist for at least a few generations. These traits only show up in females, the daughters of their offspring. Apolline Delacour is a half-Veela, thus her children Fleur and Gabrielle are quarter-Veela, and Fleur’s children Victoire, Dominique, and Louis are eighth-Veela; it is unknown if they have inherited any specific Veela characteristics from their grandmother. It is unknown whether half-blooded Veela can throw fire or transform into harpy-like creatures, as their full-blooded relatives can. (HP Wiki)

However, Delphi’s appearance may also point to Veela ancestry much sooner in her family tree. If this is the case, and Delphi is part-Veela, then that would also explain Albus Potter’s “crush” on her.

[Veela] magic creates an “entranced” effect, as noted in the books and hinted in the movie, wherein men (presumed to be heterosexual) fall into a trance-like stance, similar to the Imperio charm, in which they lose sight of their surroundings and focus solely on the Veela’s dance or appearance. Men are also prone to experiencing thoughts of strong desire to impress or be with the veela in question, and are strongly attracted romantically. (HP Wiki)

But a crow isn’t the same as an augurey, and Delphi is “the augurey”, not “the crow”!

True. However, the augurey physically resembles, and shares symbolic traits, with crows, such as black feathering with a green-or-blue hue, or being an “omen of death”. Likewise, you know what else the augurey is called in Harry Potter mythology? “The Irish phoenix”.

Morrigan is, her her core, an Irish figure. Likewise, Isolt Sayre came from the Irish branch of the Gaunt family, which was thought to have died out [Pureblood-wise] with Gormlaith Gaunt’s death. From what we know, Lord Voldemort came from the English branch.

From the HP Wiki:

The Augurey, also known as the Irish Phoenix, is a thin and mournful looking bird, somewhat like a small underfed vulture in appearance, with greenish black feathers and a sharp beak. Its diet consists of insects, fairies and flies, which it hunts for in the heavy rain. Intensely shy, the Augurey lives in a tear-shaped nest in thorn and brambles.

It is native to Great Britain and Ireland, but is also found in Northern Europe. It was long believed that the mournful cry of the Augurey foretold death, and wizards would go to great lengths to avoid Augurey nests. However, research determined that the Augurey merely sings when it is about to rain.

The term “augury” most commonly refers to a method of divination by studying the flight patterns of birds.

However, Morrigan also had a large connection with divination and death. In lore, she is also said to be a Seer and diviner, warning heroes of their impending demise:

Her role was to not only be a symbol of imminent death, but to also influence the outcome of war.

Most often she did this by appearing as a crow flying overhead, and would either inspire fear or courage in the hearts of the warriors. In some cases, she is written to have appeared in visions to those who are destined to die in battle by washing their bloody armor. In this specific role, she is also given the role of foretelling imminent death, with a particular emphasis on the individual. (Wikipedia)

Likewise, Delphi’s very name all but means 'prophecy’. Delphi [in Greece] is perhaps best known for the oracle of the Pythia, who would give prophecies in a trance, which equates with Seers in the Harry Potter world.

A Seer from history, mythology, and lore - just like Morrigan.

If that’s the case, what happened to Delphi’s true parents?

Likley killed by Voldemort and/or Voldemort’s followers, especially since Martha Steward’s decendants would largely be of Muggle ancestry, maybe with a Half-bloods and Muggle-borns mixed in. 

In Voldemort’s eyes, they would have “defiled” Slytherin’s bloodline.

the hatred for ron weasley and the perception of him as “useless” tends to be at least partially rooted in this idea that you have to be talented at everything you do and never put a foot wrong in order to be accepted as someone’s friend—like, because hermione’s a genius and harry is prodigiously skilled at defense against the dark arts and quidditch, ron, who doesn’t have any particular unique skill apart from chess, is somehow lesser in value to them and “unworthy” of their company.

it really speaks to this ridiculous idea that people are commodities, that they’re only good for what they can do for you. hermione’s only valuable to the trio because she’s smart, harry’s only valuable to the trio because he’s famous and good at combat magic. fans of ron weasley have to fight tooth and nail to get people to remember that ron contributes emotionally to the trio, that he helps keep harry and hermione grounded and in perspective, and that’s just as important as practical skills (of which he actually does have a great deal, or are we forgetting that he has the exact same grades as harry minus the top d.a.d.a grade?)

but ultimately, what it comes down to is this—the trio aren’t friends because they fight death eaters. they aren’t friends because they battle voldemort or hunt for and destroy his horcruxes together. they aren’t friends because they have to be. they are friends because they love each other, because they fundamentally care about each other and value each other as individuals quite apart from their special skills. they see in each other people who are there for them and support them and help them when no one else will, who will bring them up short when they need it, and they admire and care about each other and their relationships.

if you’re the kind of person who expects people to look for friends solely based on what skills those people contribute to the group, maybe the people in your life need to watch their backs so they know not to invest too much in a relationship with you. because why bother if all that matters is their skill set, which can change or be upstaged by someone else’s at any time?

ron is important and valuable to the trio because he is ron. they are friends with him and care about him because he is ron. people matter because they’re people, and this absurd and damaging philosophy that people’s value and worth should be inherently tied to their abilities really needs to stop.

so the next time someone asks you “what unique things has ron done? what are his special skills?”, as if that is the litmus test for someone to be accepted and loved, they may be the kind of person that you need to look at and just ask why ron needs them in the first place.